Oil Slips as Traders Expect OPEC+ to Ease Supply Cuts

Oil slipped nearly 1% on Monday as traders eyed an OPEC technical meeting this week which is expected to recommend an easing in supply cuts that have been propping up crude prices.
Brent crude fell 29 cents, or 0.7%, to $42.95 a barrel while US West Texas Intermediate crude was at $40.25 a barrel, down 30 cents, or 0.7%, CNBC reported.
Oil was little changed last week as a resurgence of coronavirus cases prompted several US states to impose tighter travel restrictions that could dampen oil demand recovery at the world’s largest consumer.
However, prices climbed more than 2% on Friday after the International Energy Agency raised its 2020 oil demand forecast by 400,000 barrels per day.
Oil prices have recovered sharply from multi-decade lows in April as the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies including Russia, a group known as OPEC+, cut output by a record 9.7 million barrels per day over May to July.
OPEC’s Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee will meet on Tuesday and Wednesday to recommend the next level of cuts after compliance in the group hit 107% in June, up from 77% in May.
OPEC and Russia are expected to ease their supply cuts to 7.7 million bpd as global oil demand has recovered and prices have bounced back, OPEC+ sources have told Reuters.